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Ayah
Word by Word
وَمَا
And not
مُحَمَّدٌ
(is) Muhammad
إِلَّا
except
رَسُولٞ
a Messenger
قَدۡ
certainly
خَلَتۡ
passed away
مِن
from
قَبۡلِهِ
before him
ٱلرُّسُلُۚ
[the] (other) Messengers
أَفَإِيْن
So if
مَّاتَ
he died
أَوۡ
or
قُتِلَ
is slain
ٱنقَلَبۡتُمۡ
will you turn back
عَلَىٰٓ
on
أَعۡقَٰبِكُمۡۚ
your heels
وَمَن
And whoever
يَنقَلِبۡ
turns back
عَلَىٰ
on
عَقِبَيۡهِ
his heels
فَلَن
then never
يَضُرَّ
will he harm
ٱللَّهَ
Allah
شَيۡـٔٗاۚ
(in) anything
وَسَيَجۡزِي
And will reward
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
ٱلشَّـٰكِرِينَ
the grateful ones
وَمَا
And not
مُحَمَّدٌ
(is) Muhammad
إِلَّا
except
رَسُولٞ
a Messenger
قَدۡ
certainly
خَلَتۡ
passed away
مِن
from
قَبۡلِهِ
before him
ٱلرُّسُلُۚ
[the] (other) Messengers
أَفَإِيْن
So if
مَّاتَ
he died
أَوۡ
or
قُتِلَ
is slain
ٱنقَلَبۡتُمۡ
will you turn back
عَلَىٰٓ
on
أَعۡقَٰبِكُمۡۚ
your heels
وَمَن
And whoever
يَنقَلِبۡ
turns back
عَلَىٰ
on
عَقِبَيۡهِ
his heels
فَلَن
then never
يَضُرَّ
will he harm
ٱللَّهَ
Allah
شَيۡـٔٗاۚ
(in) anything
وَسَيَجۡزِي
And will reward
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
ٱلشَّـٰكِرِينَ
the grateful ones
Translation
Muhammad is no more than a messenger: many Were the messenger that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then Turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude.
Tafsir
With regard to their being routed, when it was rumoured that the Prophet had been killed and the hypocrites had said to the believers, 'If he has been killed, go back to your [previous] religion', the following was revealed: Muhammad is only a messenger; messengers have passed away before him. Why, if he should die or is slain, like others, will you turn back on your heels, will you return to unbelief (the last statement is the locus of the interrogative of denial, in other words, 'he was not a worshipped being, so that [if he were to die] you should turn back [to your previous religion]'). If any man should turn back on his heels, he will not harm God in any way, but will be harming himself, and God will requite those that are thankful, for His graces by staying firm.
"The Rumor that the Prophet was Killed at Uhud
When Muslims suffered defeat in battle at Uhud and some of them were killed, Shaytan shouted, ""Muhammad has been killed.""
Ibn Qami'ah went back to the idolators and claimed, ""I have killed Muhammad.""
Some Muslims believed this rumor and thought that the Messenger of Allah had been killed, claiming that this could happen, for Allah narrated that this occurred to many Prophets before. Therefore, the Muslims' resolve was weakened and they did not actively participate in battle.
This is why Allah sent down to His Messenger His statement,
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِهِ الرُّسُلُ
Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and indeed Messengers have passed away before him.
he is to deliver Allah's Message and may be killed in the process, just as what happened to many Prophets before.
Ibn Abi Najih said that his father said that;
a man from the Muhajirin passed by an Ansari man who was bleeding (during Uhud) and said to him, ""O fellow! Did you know that Muhammad was killed?""
The Ansari man said, ""Even if Muhammad was killed, he has indeed conveyed the Message. Therefore, defend your religion.""
The Ayah,
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِهِ الرُّسُلُ
(Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him), was revealed.
This story was collected by Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Bayhaqi in Dala'il An-Nubuwwah.
Allah said next, while chastising those who became weak,
أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوۡ قُتِلَ انقَلَبۡتُمۡ عَلَى أَعۡقَابِكُمۡ
If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels,
become disbelievers.
وَمَن يَنقَلِبۡ عَلَىَ عَقِبَيۡهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ اللّهَ شَيۡيًا وَسَيَجۡزِي اللّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ
And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; and Allah will give reward to those who are grateful.
those who obeyed Allah, defended His religion and followed His Messenger whether he was alive or dead.
The Sahih, Musnad and Sunan collections gathered various chains of narration stating that Abu Bakr recited this Ayah when the Messenger of Allah died.
Al-Bukhari recorded that Aishah said that;
Abu Bakr came riding his horse from his dwelling in As-Sunh. He dismounted, entered the Masjid and did not speak to anyone until he came to her (in her room) and went directly to the Prophet, who was covered with a marked blanket. Abu Bakr uncovered his face, knelt down and kissed him, then started weeping and proclaimed,
""My father and my mother be sacrificed for you! Allah will not combine two deaths on you. You have died the death, which was written for you.""
Ibn Abbas narrated that;
Abu Bakr then came out, while Umar was addressing the people, and Abu Bakr told him to sit down but Umar refused, and the people attended to Abu Bakr and left Umar.
Abu Bakr said, ""To proceed; whoever among you worshipped Muhammad, then Muhammad is dead, but whoever worshipped Allah, Allah is alive and will never die. Allah said,
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوۡ قُتِلَ انقَلَبۡتُمۡ عَلَى أَعۡقَابِكُمۡ وَمَن يَنقَلِبۡ عَلَىَ عَقِبَيۡهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ اللّهَ شَيۡيًا وَسَيَجۡزِي اللّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ
Muhammad is no more than a Messenger and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; and Allah will reward the grateful.""
The narrator added,
""By Allah, it was as if the people never knew that Allah had revealed this verse before until Abu Bakr recited it, and then whoever heard it, started reciting it.""
Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said that Umar said,
""By Allah! When I heard Abu Bakr recite this Ayah, my feet could not hold me, and I fell to the ground.""
Allah said
وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفۡسٍ أَنۡ تَمُوتَ إِلاَّ بِإِذۡنِ الله كِتَابًا مُّوَجَّلً
And no person can ever die except by Allah's leave and at an appointed term.
meaning, no one dies except by Allah's decision, after he has finished the term that Allah has destined for him. This is why Allah said,
كِتَابًا مُّوَجَّلً
(at an appointed term) which is similar to His statements,
وَمَا يُعَمَّرُ مِن مُّعَمَّرٍ وَلَا يُنقَصُ مِنۡ عُمُرِهِ إِلاَّ فِى كِتَـبٍ
And no aged man is granted a length of life nor is a part cut off from his life, but it is in a Book. (35:11)
and,
هُوَ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمۡ مِّن طِينٍ ثُمَّ قَضَى أَجَلً وَأَجَلٌ مُّسمًّى عِندَهُ
He it is Who has created you from clay, and then has decreed a (stated) term (for you to die). And there is with Him another determined term (for you to be resurrected). (6:2)
This Ayah (3:145) encourages cowards to participate in battle; for doing so, or avoiding battle neither decreases, nor increases the life term.
Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that,
Habib bin Suhban said that a Muslim man, Hujr bin Adi, said in a battle, ""What prevents you from crossing this river (the Euphrates) to the enemy
وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفۡسٍ أَنۡ تَمُوتَ إِلاَّ بِإِذۡنِ الله كِتَابًا مُّوَجَّلً
(And no person can ever die except by Allah's leave and at an appointed term).""
He then crossed the river riding his horse, and when he did, the Muslims followed him. When the enemy ﷺ them, they started shouting, ""Diwan (Persian; crazy),"" and they ran away.
Allah said next,
وَمَن يُرِدۡ ثَوَابَ الدُّنۡيَا نُوۡتِهِ مِنۡهَا وَمَن يُرِدۡ ثَوَابَ الاخِرَةِ نُوۡتِهِ مِنۡهَا
And whoever desires a reward in the world, We shall give him of it; and whoever desires a reward in the Hereafter, We shall give him thereof.
Therefore, the Ayah proclaims, whoever works for the sake of this life, will only earn what Allah decides he will earn. However, he will not have a share in the Hereafter. Whoever works for the sake of the Hereafter, Allah will give him a share in the Hereafter, along with what He decides for him in this life.
In similar statements, Allah said,
مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرۡثَ الاٌّخِرَةِ نَزِدۡ لَهُ فِى حَرۡثِهِ وَمَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرۡثَ الدُّنۡيَا نُوۡتِهِ مِنۡهَا وَمَا لَهُ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ مِن نَّصِيبٍ
Whosoever desires (by his deeds) the reward of the Hereafter, We give him increase in his reward, and whosoever desires the reward of this world (by his deeds), We give him thereof (what is decreed for him), and he has no portion in the Hereafter. (42:20)
and,
مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الۡعَـجِلَةَ عَجَّلۡنَا لَهُ فِيهَا مَا نَشَأءُ لِمَن نُّرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلۡنَا لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ يَصۡلَـهَا مَذۡمُومًا مَّدۡحُورًا
وَمَنۡ أَرَادَ الاٌّخِرَةَ وَسَعَى لَهَا سَعۡيَهَا وَهُوَ مُوۡمِنٌ فَأُولَـيِكَ كَانَ سَعۡيُهُم مَّشۡكُورًا
Whoever desires the quick-passing (transitory enjoyment of this world), We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then, afterwards, We have appointed for him Hell; he will burn therein disgraced and despised. And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it while he is a believer, then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated. (17:18-19)
In this Ayah (3:145) Allah said,
وَسَنَجۡزِي الشَّاكِرِينَ
And We shall reward the grateful.
meaning, We shall award them with Our favor and mercy in this life and the Hereafter, according to the degree of their appreciation (of Allah) and their good deeds.
Allah then comforts the believers because of what they suffered in Uhud.
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن نَّبِيٍّ قَاتَلَ مَعَهُ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌ
And many a Prophet fought and along with him many Ribbiyyun.
It was said that;
this Ayah means that many Prophets and their companions were killed in earlier times, as is the view chosen by Ibn Jarir.
It was also said that;
the Ayah means that many Prophets witnessed their companions' death before their eyes.
However, Ibn Ishaq mentioned another explanation in his Sirah, saying that this Ayah means,
""Many a Prophet was killed, and he had many companions whose resolve did not weaken after their Prophet died, and they did not become feeble in the face of the enemy. What they suffered in Jihad in Allah's cause and for the sake of their religion did not make them lose heart. This is patience,
وَاللّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّابِرِينَ
(and Allah loves the patient).""
As-Suhayli agreed with this explanation and defended it vigorously.
This view is supported by Allah saying;
مَعَهُ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌ
(And along with him many Ribbiyyun).
In his book about the battles, Al-Amawi mentioned only this explanation for the Ayah.
Sufyan Ath-Thawri reported that, Ibn Mas`ud said that,
رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌ
(many Ribbiyyun) means, thousands.
Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi, Ar-Rabi and Ata Al-Khurasani said that;
the word Ribbiyyun means, `large bands'.
Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ma`mmar said that Al-Hasan said that,
رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌ
(many Ribbiyyun) means, many scholars.
He also said that it means patient and pious scholars.
فَمَا وَهَنُواۡ لِمَا أَصَابَهُمۡ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُواۡ وَمَا اسۡتَكَانُواۡ
But they never lost heart for that which befell them in Allah's way, nor did they weaken nor degrade themselves.
Qatadah and Ar-Rabi bin Anas said that,
وَمَا ضَعُفُواۡ
(nor did they weaken),
means, after their Prophet was killed.
وَمَا اسۡتَكَانُواۡ
(nor degrade themselves),
by reverting from the true guidance and religion. Rather, they fought on the path that Allah's Prophet fought on until they met Allah.
Ibn Abbas said that,
وَمَا اسۡتَكَانُواۡ
(nor degrade themselves) means,
nor became humiliated,
while As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd said that it means,
they did not give in to the enemy.
وَاللّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّابِرِينَ
وَمَا كَانَ قَوۡلَهُمۡ إِلاَّ أَن قَالُواۡ ربَّنَا اغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسۡرَافَنَا فِي أَمۡرِنَا وَثَبِّتۡ أَقۡدَامَنَا وانصُرۡنَا عَلَى الۡقَوۡمِ الۡكَافِرِينَ
And Allah loves the patient.
And they said nothing but:""Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and our transgressions, establish our feet firmly, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk.""
and this was the statement that they kept repeating.
Therefore
فَأتَاهُمُ اللّهُ ثَوَابَ الدُّنۡيَا
So Allah gave them the reward of this world,
victory, triumph and the good end.
وَحُسۡنَ ثَوَابِ الاخِرَةِ
and the excellent reward of the Hereafter.
added to the gains in this life.
وَاللّهُ يُحِبُّ الۡمُحۡسِنِينَ
And Allah loves the good-doers."
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